Prosecutors are asking that he get 150 years. Madoff, who’s 71, is shooting for more like 12, according to his lawyer. That at least gives him a shot of not dying in prison. According to the Associated Press:

Madoff "will speak to the shame he has felt and to the pain he has caused," his attorney, Ira Sorkin, said in court papers.

"We seek neither mercy nor sympathy," Sorkin wrote.

That’s good, because given the scale of Madoff’s scheme, he’s not likely to get either. In addition to Madoff himself, 10 victims have asked permission to speak, the AP reports.

Even if Madoff got the full 150 years for running his $65 billion scheme, it wouldn’t be close to the biggest sentence for white-collar crime. Consider Sholam Weiss, who, as Forbes notes, is serving the longest sentence for white-collar crime: 845 years. Sentenced in 2000 for the collapse of National Heritage Life, Weiss is scheduled to be released in late 2754. Looks like he might be able to shave off a century for good behavior.

Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle

Meanwhile, here in Houston, accused Ponzi schemer R. Allen Stanford isback in court, having spent the weekend in a federal lockup. Prosecutors are challenging a judge’s order last week that would have released Stanford on a $500,000 bond. U.S. District Judge David Hittner will consider the request at hearing later this morning.

Prosecutors claim Stanford is a flight risk given his possible access to cash – more than $1 billion of the Stanford Financial empire remains missing – and that he’s facing what could amount to a life sentence if convicted on 21 counts of conspiracy, fraud, bribery and obstruction of justice.

I’m guessing neither Madoff nor Stanford will get what they want in court today.